As I stretched under the covers this morning, I realized the air was chilly (37º inside & 32º outside) and both of the cats were snuggled into any warm nook they could find around my body.  Eventually crawled out of that toasty warm bed on this Christmas morning.  I followed my routine of most mornings. I opened first the shade on the East facing window. That brings the cats up out of the bed, to catch the rays of sunshine each morning. Gradually open the rest, and Norm is meowing at me to play with him. He has a flexible stick with feathers at the end. And I try to “teach” Tucker how to play.  Norm get jealous each morning when I do this, but its working. Tucker is learning to play. Then off to comb my hair, take morning medications and vitamins. Turn on some water for tea, feed the cats, put away dishes and only when tea has brewed do I sit down at the computer.

The first thing I see out my window, as I wait for the computer to turn on, is one of the RVers up early, dressed as an elf, putting Christmas packages (lots of them) into her car and off she goes down the road. The thing that caught my attention the most, was not what I just described, but the sheer excitement of it all. She was singing a Christmas carol, with a bounce in her step, smiling from one ear to another.  Now that is the best thing I’ve seen in this town!!!

This holiday season was rough.  Its not that I haven’t found the Christmas spirit, its nothing like what I have experienced or participated in ever.  Its been a roller coaster of emotions I’m not particularly proud of but it is what it is.  As someone mentioned on a mailing list this morning, “I didn’t plan this very well”, as she was parked in a Walmart parking lot in S.C. on her rainy Christmas morning. And that my friends is excellent in describing my scenario.  I didn’t plan my Christmas very well, in fact I can honestly say I didn’t think. It has always surrounded me, wherever I have been, so why would I have doubts I wouldn’t be surrounded this time. Well, this town of Pahrump, nary a ornament to be found, not even a nativity scene to behold. Even the Walmart – couldn’t find any decorations or a little tabletop tree, nothing. Found a box of Christmas cards at the post office.   There’s no “Merry Christmas” to be heard and folks look at you odd when you say it.  Good grief! Another observation, where are the churches?  Nevada is definitely the gambling state, but no churches?  Well… they are not obvious like other places. I won’t spend future Christmas’ in this place, that I can promise you. As one of my newer friends mentioned, a string of lights is all she has, I couldn’t even find that. Bah humbug!

So to see this gal decked out like a elf, singing a Christmas Carol, bearing bags upon bags of gifts for someone. That was the best thing I’ve seen and it made me smile.

So today, at 4 pm, is Christmas dinner with the folks here at Pair-of-Dice RV park. This is one of many Escapees RV parks that I’ve been to.  I have made a point to seek out these parks, as the people that belong to Escapees are a huge step above what you can find in regular RV parks. The big difference is that they are friendly. I have stayed in regular parks that no one speaks to each other. The Escapees folks are delighted to meet you. As I would never have considered going RV to RV as I did last week in a regular RV park.  Escapees folks are like family.  The Lazy Daze RV (my rig) folks are a tighter-knit  family than the Escapees. Amazing new friends in this group, simply amazing! And just joined at the end of October LoWs (Loners on Wheels). I will learn more about them when I head to NM in February.  So these “new” families/friends are my new family, a fantastic group to be associated with, I have learn so very much from them.  I chuckle over the Lazy Daze group… if they don’t see any posts here on this blog, or they don’t run into me out in the world, I get one liner emails – “Where are you?”  I can ask my stupid questions about why I have water pouring out of the fresh water tank, to asking if the SeeLevel gauge can it be re-calibrated or figuring out if I have Alligators on my tire stems..  and I can get in trouble when I can’t explain myself too. Just like a normal family you know. I get teased, picked on all the time. Just like a family. So I realize, I am truly blessed to have made these new connections, new friends that are like family. Merry Christmas!

And lastly, I have the world’s best friends… In no particular order, are my closest, dearest friends:  Dorothy, Cheri, Karen W., Connie, Anita, Sarah B., and Bev!  I would do anything for these folks. I am very blessed to have them!  Thanks!